Monarda plant named ‘Domonpocde’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of Monarda plant named ‘Domonpocde’, characterized by its upright plant habit; freely branching habit; dark green-colored leaves; freely flowering habit; large inflorescences with red purple-colored flowers; and relative tolerance to Powdery Mildew.

Botanical designation: Monarda didyma.

Cultivar denomination: ‘DOMONPOCDE’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Monarda plant, botanically known as Monarda didyma, typically grown a container plant and hereinafter referred to by the name ‘Domonpocde’.

The new Monarda plant is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in Aalsmeer, The Netherlands. The objective of the breeding program is to create new compact and freely branching Monarda plants with numerous attractive flowers.

The new Monarda plant originated from a cross-pollination in 2009 of Monarda didyma ‘Pink Lace’, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 18,367, as the female, or seed, parent with Monarda didyma ‘Aquarius’, not patented, as the male, or pollen, parent. The new Monarda plant was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a single flowering plant from within the progeny of the stated cross-pollination grown in a controlled environment in Aalsmeer, The Netherlands in 2010.

Asexual reproduction of the new Monarda plant by vegetative terminal cuttings in Aalsmeer, The Netherlands, since 2011 has shown that the unique features of this new Monarda plant are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the new Monarda have not been observed under all possible combinations of environmental conditions and cultural practices. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environmental conditions such as temperature and light intensity without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘Domonpocde’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘Domonpocde’ as a new and distinct Monarda plant:

-   -   1. Upright plant habit.     -   2. Freely branching habit.     -   3. Dark green-colored leaves.     -   4. Freely flowering habit.     -   5. Large inflorescences with red purple-colored flowers.     -   6. Relatively tolerant to Powdery Mildew.

Plants of the new Monarda differ primarily from plants of the female parent, ‘Pink Lace’, in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Monarda are more freely branching than         plants of ‘Pink Lace’.     -   2. Plants of the new Monarda are more tolerant to Powdery Mildew         than plants of ‘Pink Lace’.

Plants of the new Monarda differ primarily from plants of the male parent, ‘Aquarius’, in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Monarda are more freely branching than         plants of ‘Aquarius’.     -   2. Plants of the new Monarda are more tolerant to Powdery Mildew         than plants of ‘Aquarius’.

Plants of the new Monarda can be compared to plants of Monarda didyma ‘Sugar Lace’, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 22,918. In side-by-side comparisons, plants of the new Monarda differ primarily from plants of ‘Sugar Lace’ in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Monarda are more compact than plants of         ‘Sugar Lace’.     -   2. Plants of the new Monarda have thicker lateral branches than         plants of ‘Sugar Lace’.     -   3. Plants of the new Monarda have larger and darker         green-colored leaves than plants of ‘Sugar Lace’.     -   4. Plants of the new Monarda have darker red purple-colored         flowers than plants of ‘Sugar Lace’.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPH

The accompanying colored photograph illustrates the overall appearance of the new Monarda plant showing the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photographs may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describe the actual colors of the new Monarda plant. The photograph is a side perspective view of a typical flowering plant of ‘Domonpocde’ grown in a container.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The aforementioned photograph and following observations, measurements and values describe plants grown during the summer in 13-cm containers in an outdoor nursery in Aalsmeer, The Netherlands and under cultural practices typical of commercial Monarda production. During the production of the plants, day temperatures averaged 20° C. and night temperatures averaged 16° C. Plants were pinched one time after planting young plants and were four months old when the photograph was taken and 25 weeks when the description was taken. In the detailed description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 2015 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   Botanical classification: Monarda didyma ‘Domonpocde’. -   Parentage:     -   -   Female, or seed, parent.—Monarda didyma ‘Pink Lace’,             disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 18,367.         -   Male, or pollen, parent.—Monarda didyma ‘Aquarius’, not             patented. -   Propagation:     -   -   Type cutting.—By terminal vegetative cuttings.         -   Time to initiate roots, summer.—About ten days at             temperatures about 26° C.         -   Time to initiate roots, winter.—About two weeks at             temperatures about 23° C.         -   Additional time to produce a rooted young plant,             summer.—About 12 days at temperatures about 23° C.         -   Additional time to produce a rooted young plant,             winter.—About 16 days at temperatures about 18° C.         -   Root description.—Medium in thickness, fibrous; typically             light brown in color, actual color of the roots is dependent             on substrate composition, water quality, fertilizer type and             formulation, substrate temperature and physiological age of             roots.         -   Rooting habit.—Moderately freely branching; dense. -   Plant description:     -   -   Plant and growth habit.—Herbaceous perennial; upright plant             habit; moderately vigorous growth habit; rapid growth rate.         -   Plant height.—About 35 cm.         -   Plant width.—About 30 cm.         -   Lateral branch description.—Branching habit: Freely basal             branching habit with about six to eight main stems. Length:             About 26 cm. Diameter: About 4 mm. Internode length: About 3             cm to 7 cm. Strength: Strong. Aspect: Mostly upright.             Texture: Pubescent. Color: Close to 146C. -   Leaf description:     -   -   Arrangement.—Opposite, simple.         -   Length.—About 9 cm to 10 cm.         -   Width.—About 5 cm.         -   Shape.—Ovate.         -   Apex.—Acute.         -   Base.—Obtuse.         -   Margin.—Serrate.         -   Texture, upper and lower surfaces.—Pubescent and slightly             rugose.         -   Venation pattern.—Pinnate.         -   Color.—Developing and fully developed leaves, upper surface:             Close to 139A; venation, close to 148B. Developing and fully             developed leaves, lower surface: Close to 137B; venation,             close to 148D.         -   Petioles.—Length: About 1 cm. Diameter: About 3 mm.             Strength: Moderately strong. Texture, upper and lower             surfaces: Pubescent. Color, upper and lower surfaces: Close             to 145B. -   Flower description:     -   -   Flower form, arrangement and flowering habit.—Single labiate             flowers arranged in large terminal globular spikes; flowers             sessile; flowers face upright to outwardly; freely flowering             habit with about 25 to 30 flowers developing per             inflorescence and about 3,000 flowers developing per plant             during the flowering season.         -   Natural flowering season.—Plants flower during August and             September in The Netherlands; plants begin flowering about             16 weeks after planting.         -   Postproduction longevity.—Flowers maintain good substance             for about one week on the plant; flowers not persistent.         -   Fragrance.—Moderate to strongly fragrant; pleasant, spicy.         -   Flower buds.—Length: About 1 cm. Diameter: About 1 mm.             Shape: Narrowly oblanceolate. Color: Close to 72B.         -   Inflorescence height.—About 5 cm to 6 cm.         -   Inflorescence diameter.—About 5 cm to 6 cm.         -   Flower diameter.—About 5 mm.         -   Flower depth (height).—About 3 cm.         -   Petals.—Arrangement: Labiate; upper lip hooded; lower lip, a             single lobe; lips fused proximally. Length, upper and lower             lips: About 1.5 cm. Width, upper lip: About 1 mm. Width,             lower lip: About 5 mm. Shape, upper lip: Lanceolate; apex,             acute. Shape, lower lip: Oblanceolate; apex, aristate.             Margin, upper and lower lips: Entire. Texture, upper and             lower lips, upper surface: Smooth, glabrous. Texture, upper             and lower lips, lower surface: Pubescent. Color, upper and             lower lips: When opening and fully opened, upper surface:             Close to 72B; color does not change with development. When             opening and fully opened, lower surface: Close to 72B; color             does not change with development.         -   Sepals.—Quantity and arrangement: Five in a single whorl;             proxomally fused into a tubular calyx. Length: About 9 mm.             Width: About 1.5 mm. Apex: Acuminate. Margin: Free parts,             entire. Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Pubescent. Color,             when opening and fully opened, upper and lower surfaces:             Close to 147D, distally, close to 187A.         -   Peduncles.—Length: About 18 cm to 24 cm. Diameter: About             4 mm. Strength: Strong. Aspect: About 25° to 30° from             vertical. Texture: Pubescent. Color: Close to 146C.         -   Reproductive organs.—Stamens: Quantity per flower: Two.             Filament length: About 1.3 cm. Filament color: Close to 77B.             Anther length: About 2 mm. Anther shape: Elliptical;             dorsifixed. Anther color: Close to 77A. Pollen amount:             Moderate. Pollen color: Close to 8B. Pistils: Quantity per             flower: One. Pistil length: About 3 cm. Stigma shape: Cleft,             unequal. Stigma color: Close to 79A. Style length: About             2.9 cm. Style color: Proximally, close to 155C; distally,             close to 77A. Ovary color: Close to 11D.         -   Seed and fruit.—To date, seed and fruit production have not             been observed on plants of the new Monarda. -   Pathogen & pest resistance: Plants of the new Monarda have been     observed to be relatively tolerant to Powdery Mildew (Erysiphe     cichoracearum). Plants of the new Monarda have not been observed to     be resistant to pests and other pathogens common to Monarda plants. -   Garden performance: Plants of the new Monarda have exhibited good     tolerance to rain, wind and temperatures ranging from about −20° C.     to 30° C. 

It is claimed:
 1. A new and distinct Monarda plant named ‘Domonpocde’ as illustrated and described. 